Penalty kick (football)
In Association Football, a penalty kick is a free kick from twelve yards out with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.
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2 Procedure 3 Infractions 4 Penalty Shootouts |
A penalty kick may be awarded when a defending player committs a foul punishable by a direct free kick against an opponent, within their own penalty area (commonly known as "the box" or the "18 yard box" or the "16 meter box").
The penalty kick is taken from the penalty mark, which is a midline spot 12 yards or 11 meters from the goal. The penalty kick taker must be clearly identified to the Referee.
All players other than the defending goalkeeper and the penalty taker must be outside the penalty area, behind the penalty mark, and at least ten yards from the ball until it is kicked. The goalkeeper must remain between the goalposts on the goal-line until the ball is kicked, however may move from side to side along the goal-line.
After the Referee signals for the kick to be taken, the kicker must kick the ball in a forward direction (not neccessarily at the goal, however this is almost always the case). The ball is in play once it has been kicked and moved, and from this point other players may enter the penalty area and play continues as normal, however most often a goal has already been scored.
The penalty kick is a form of direct free kick, meaning that a goal may be scored directly from it. If a goal is not scored, play continues as usual. As with all free kicks, the kicker may not play the ball a second time, until it has been touched by another player. However, a penalty kick is unusual in that, unlike general play, external interference directly after the kick has been taken may result in the kick being retaken (rather than the usual drop-ball).
Infractions of the penalty kick law (goalkeeper forward movement, encroaching into forbidden areas) by either team are dealt with using an advantage concept.
Generally:
Other offences that occur during a penalty kick are dealt with in the usual way.
Penalty shootouts (correctly called kicks from the penalty mark) are used to decide the result of games in elimination matches which are still tied after both ordinary time and extra time. Under the Laws of the Game they do not strictly form part of the match and goals scored are not part of the match score.
Kicks from the penalty mark are not part of the penalty kick law and are not, strictly speaking, penalty kicks. However, they follow essentially the same procedure as penalty kicks and are popularly referred to as "penalties". Unlike penalty kicks, players other than the kicker and the defending goalkeeper must remain in the center circle (other than the kicking team's goalkeeper, who remains in a position outside of the penalty area).
Each team takes alternating kicks from the penalty mark, initially until each has taken five kicks or one side has scored more goals than the other side could possibly score. If the teams have scored an equal number of goals they then alternate turns taking further single kicks until one side scores and the other does not. No player is allowed to take a second kick from the penalty mark until all other players on his team have taken a kick from the penalty mark (although certain exceptions apply regarding injured players and teams with more players than the other).
The 1994 World Cup Final was decided in this way, with Brazil beating Italy on kicks from the penalty mark after a 0-0 draw in general play. The 2003 Champions League Final between A.C. Milan and Juventus was also decided this way, with Milan winning.Penalty
Procedure
Infractions
The Referee may also caution (yellow card) players for infrigements of the penalty kick law, eg repeated encroaching into the penalty area. Note that in practice, most minor penalty kick infractions are not penalised.Penalty Shootouts